Google Earth Interface

Raveon Technologies’ RavTrack PC AVL software now supports interfaces to Google Earth, making it one of the most well-connected AVL products in the industry.

Raveon adds Google Earth interface to its AVL software

Vista, California May 17, 2009 – With the release of RavTrack PC version 2.6, Raveon Technologies has added yet another interface to its RavTack AVL system, making RavTrack one of the best-connected AVL systems, with numerous user-interfaces. By interfacing to Google Earth, users can visualize real-time asset locations in 3-D, and deliver optimized routing and driving directions.

Raveon’s RavTrack system sends the location and status information to Google Earth using the industry-standard KML file format. And because the KML file format is so widely supported in the computer-mapping industry, many other applications that use KML files will also work with Raveon’s RavTrack system.

The Raveon GPS vehicle tracking solution goes beyond traditional fleet tracking. The RavTrack GPS tracking system is designed with a unique combination of high-speed updating, low-cost UHF transponders, powerful AVL software, and now Google Earth 3-D imagery and maps, making this solution very versatile and effective for public safety, search and rescue, and real-time tracking applications. And because Raveon’s RavTrack system does not rely upon an Internet connection, or cellular infrastructure, there are no recurring costs and the system works everywhere. The interface to Google Earth is designed to run in parallel with Raveon’s RavTrack PC, so that users can run both Google Earth and RavTrack PC. Google Earth can use its on-line maps and imagery. Or if a network connection is not available, it will use cashed maps. Because RavTrack PC has its own local map imagery, Raveon’s RavTrack system will still work even if a network connection to Google was lost.

How It Works

Raveon’s RavTrack PC is an exceptional vehicle tracking software package, offering alarming, logging, reporting, geo-fencing, and dozens of operator short-cuts to make managing an AVL system very easy. But, RavTrack PC uses bit-mapped images and ESRI shape files for its maps, and many users perfer the rich maps and immagery available in Google’s Google Earth program.

Raveon now has incorporated an interface to Google Earth, using industry-standard .kml files. The .kml file format is a way of saving and exchanging position and map information betweenvarious software programs. Google Earth, and many other mapping programs can read .kml files, and display on their map the position of items listed in them.

With RavTrack PC version 2.6 and highe, RavTrack PC may be configured to periodically generate a .kml file, and save it to a local disk or to a file server. The .KML file is stores holds the location of all of the tracked vehicle in the system.

To see the location of a tracked vehicle on Google Earth, enable the .kml feature in RavTrack PC, and then run Google Earth on any computer that can access the disk drive where the .kml file is stored.

Note: per the terms of the Google Earth software license, the free version of Google Earth is not to be used for tracking vehciles and they do not provide vehicle icons. Google does sell a Pro version with a richer set of icons included cars and trucks.